Why is my puppy's outer ear skin red and irritated like eczema?

Ouch! Those areas do look pretty red and irritated. I would have Bodie checked out by your vet to check for issues such as yeast, fungal or bacterial infections that could be causing irritation. Food allergies, environmental allergies, allergies to shampoo, or excessive licking can also sometimes cause irritation as well. In the meantime, placing a T-shirt or Elizabethan (cone) collar on Bodie is best to keep him from licking or scratching the area to help reduce irritation and prevent the spread of additional bacteria, however since his entire body is affected, seeking veterinary care is best.

I would recommend taking Red to a veterinarian. With the history provided it may indicate allergies. Her skin looks very irritated and after a physical is performed to determine if this is the cause there is plenty of options for allergies in dogs. The first thing is clearing the infection which can include antibiotics, anti-fungals and/or shampoos. The next step is treating the allergies. This can be done by anti-histamines, steroids or two newer treatments one is pills called apoquel and then other is a 4-8 week injection called cytopoint. Allergies can be caused by environmental factors, which its sounds like could be part of the issue due to the recent move to the country but it can also be caused by food allergies. I would discuss this with your veterinarian and make a treatment plan with what is best for you and Red. If after a physical it doesn't appear to be allergies it could also be some type of mite on Red's skin. If your veterinarian feels it is more from mites a skin scraping would be performed to confirm this. Some mites are extremely difficult to find and sometimes even if no mites are found treatment is still initiated. I hope Red feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ear mites generally are noted first with signs of thick, dark discharge which appears a bit "crusty". However-the lack of these symptoms does not mean all is well with the ears of your pup. Dogs can get frequent ear infections, just like we can. I can tell from your photos that your pup has hair that grown down into the ear canals-this will be part of the problem. Those hairs trap debris, water from bathing, extra wax, etc and act as a great reservoir for bacteria to grow. I always recommend to my clients to have the hairs "plucked" by their groomer when they go or to come in to the office so that we can do it. After the hairs are cleared and the ears are cleaned, I like to do an exam of the ear canal and to take a swab of the ears to see what kind of yeast and/or bacteria are present there. It is important to have this exam performed by your vet to verify that your pet's eardrum is intact and not perforated. Likely your pet will get prescribed some antibiotics if your doctor finds it necessary, as well as pain medications or something for that awful itch. After everything is well controlled, it is usually easy to get my owners on a good ear cleaning regimen to keep ear infections at bay. I hope this helps! My best to you and your pup!

At 7 months old, most of her teeth should be in place, and teething does not normally cause ear issues in dogs. Possible causes for her itchy ears include bacterial or yeast ear infection, mites, fleas, or allergies. You can try a medicated ear flush like Dechra Malacetic Ultra Otic for a few days, as well as having Princess on a good flea preventative. If it doesn't get better, she should be seen by a vet for evaluation. The vet will probably do a thorough otic exam and an ear cytology to find the cause of the itch. Then appropriate medications can be prescribed.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, this can be due to mites. Usually though that is associated with itchiness. Another possibility is that this is due to vasculitis. There could be an underlying allergy. I recommend that you have Gizmo evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If there is itchiness, this could be due to skin allergies as stated above. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hello. Milo is scratching hard enough to damage the skin. It would be best to have him examined by your vet to see if there is a primary ear problem ( infection or ear mites ) or if he has a mild allergy. Different things require different treatments so I hope you can have him seen soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. The cefpodoxime should help with the bacterial infection component and the prednisone should help with the itch component. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!